February 3, 2012

It's February... It must be time for red and pink hearts everywhere! Ahh yes, Valentine's Day is coming. I admit I'm a bit of a romantic, and have added some new pieces to my Etsy shop that prove it. There are hearts that are a little bit bold, a little bit sweet, some are more passionate and some are more dark. My Romance necklaces are perfect for a special date. Go check them out!

Yesterday I finished the piece shown. It features one of my woodgrain hearts that I textured by hand, strung with black Spinel beads. Black Spinel has always intrigued me and I finally got to work with some. Spinel is a natural stone that comes in many colors, a color similar to ruby probably being the most known. In fact, many so-called rubies, including the Black Prince's Ruby and the Timur Ruby of the British Crown Jewels, are actually Spinel. Until recent times, they were easily confused. I love the look of black Spinel. It is opaque jet black, and when faceted, it has an awesome sparkle. Some Spinel on the market is luster-coated for extra sheen, but I prefer the natural beauty which is quite amazing. It was fun to combine these sparkly hand-cut beads with the textured heart pendant, I think the result has a bit of glam and a bit of edgy style to it.